Networking Event: DH Virtual Discussion Group – Session 3

Are you a Digital Humanities student or early career researcher in Belgium who would like to discuss DH with other early career researchers in the Belgian DH community? If so, you might be interested in joining the DH Virtual Discussion Group for ECRs!

The DH Virtual Discussion Group is a joint initiative organized by individuals at three different Belgian institutions. We strive to involve speakers from various Belgian institutions and encourage participation from all those who are interested in DH and are located at any Belgian institution. This year, the core organizers are Leah Budke (KU Leuven Libraries Artes), Sven Lieber (KBR), Paavo van der Eecken (University of Antwerp), and Loren Verreyen (University of Antwerp). Over the past years, the series has become a regular event. The fall 2024 edition proudly marks our ninth term.

Our sessions this fall will continue the “under-the-hood” format, which entails a volunteer from our community providing a thirty-minute overview of a digital project implementing a given tool, approach, or platform. This is not meant to be a polished research presentation, or to present findings or results, but rather to give our community a behind-the-scenes look at how decisions were made and why specific tools were chosen or developed. The hope is also that this presenter will give attendees some ideas about how to get started implementing a specific tool or workflow, and that they can also answer questions or contribute to a discussion on other projects in our community that might be using similar methodologies or addressing similar issues. This “under-the-hood” session format allows us to have focused discussions around a specific project where we can learn from each other in an informal way. In addition, by implementing this format we can maintain the low threshold for contributing and engaging in the conversations. It also allows us to learn about the diverse projects being done in the Benelux region related to digital humanities (an added bonus!).

Session 3
Monday 16 December, 15h-16h30 CET via Teams
Speaker(s): Fien Messens, Ghent University
Title: Raw to Refined: The Case of the Navez Project
Abstract: (Art) historical data can be tricky—often fragmented, incomplete, and curated—making it challenging to study the impact of key figures. However, the remaining data in 2024 offers valuable insights into earlier societies. In this presentation, I will address the challenges of identifying historical figures, such as artists, whose identities are often obscured by incomplete records or inconsistent name spellings. Together, we will explore how Digital Humanities methods, including Linked Open Data (LOD), can assist in contextualizing these individuals (and how not).

We’ll step back into the 19th century to examine the surviving data on Belgium’s most important neoclassical painter, François-Joseph Navez (1787-1869). This research is part of the FWO-funded Navez Project, a collaboration between Ghent University and KBR.

To join the Discussion Group, you will need to register for their mailing list. Once you have registered for the mailing list, you will receive all further communication about the initiative. You can join the mailing list at any time.

The links for the virtual meetings are sent out via email and shared in the Slack community the morning of the event. To request to join the Slack community, contact Leah Budke.